The much-anticipated Dawson estate Housing Board (HDB) build-to-order (BTO) flats have drawn an overwhelming response, just two days after they were opened for bookings.

As of 5 pm on Wednesday, most flat types - studio apartment, four-room and five-room flats - were over subscribed, with the exception of the three-room flats and the paired flats under the multi-generation living scheme. The scheme allows a young couple to live close to their elderly parents, with a studio apartment attached to a four-room or five-room flat.

There were 104 applications for the 40 studio apartments, 159 for the 270 three-room units, 1,440 for 1,102 four-room flats, and 507 for 176 five-room units. For the 65 paired flats under the multi-generation living scheme, there were 44 bookings.

Some applicants like Mr Lingeswaran, 29, even took a day off from work to register for the Dawson flats. Currently living at Telok Blangah, he cited the prime location of the flats and its proximity to his daughter's school as the main reasons for his selection.

"This is something new and different that the HDB is offering. It will take longer to build but we think that with its nicer features, it's worth waiting for," he added.

The other two BTO projects in Sembawang and Bukit Panjang also attracted good response, with the four-room flats in both estates already oversubscribed. Applicants said they found the prices more affordable.

Two award-winning private architects have been officially appointed by the Housing and Development Board (HDB) on Wednesday to put a new spin to the old Dawson Estate in Queenstown.

SCDA Architects Pte Ltd and WOHA Architects Pte Ltd were earlier commissioned to draw up plans for two separate public housing sites at the junction of Margaret Drive and Dawson Road.

The new flats will be launched for sale under the Build-To-Order system in the third quarter of 2009.

The 60-hectare Dawson district, which was first developed in the 1950s, will have new homes nestled among lush greenery.

SCDA's plan features multiple layers of common spaces such as car parks, shops and facilities, while individual residential units can be combined to create lofts, which are ideal for home offices or larger families.

The 823-unit project is also eco-friendly.

Chan Soo Khian, design director, SCDA Architects, said: "All the surface runoffs will be collected in retention tanks and these will then be used to irrigate all the landscape. The staircase would be integrated with solar panels."

At a separate site in the same district, architects at WOHA spent over four months on their work. The project will also boast sky gardens and integrated facilities.

It is expected to be home to about 1,000 households, which will have plenty of opportunity to interact.

Richard Hassell, founding director of WOHA Architects, said: "Every apartment feels like it belongs to a smaller community of about 60 or 80 homes The way we've done it is to make a space… so on the way from the lift to the front door, you always go through this space."

These flats are expected to be ready in 2014 and their price tags will be unveiled next year.

To preserve the heritage of the area, HDB is also calling on the public to contribute items relating to Queenstown. These could be old photographs, postcards or even cinema tickets, which will be incorporated into the design of the new estate.

Subana International Consultants has been chosen to develop a third site in the Dawson Estate. The company will be officially appointed when the plot is cleared in 2011.

The plans will be on display at the HDB Hub from Thursday to August 10.